The “Ah-ha!” Moment

The “Ah-ha!” Moment

Somehow – even armed with all of my personal training knowledge and months of consistent fitness habits – I hit a holiday slump. The morning sweat sessions gave way to an extra hour of shut-eye. I’m suddenly surrounded by chocolatey treats. I’m “too busy” for post-work kickboxing. The list goes on.

And then yesterday, after two weeks of less than healthy choices, I had my ah-ha! moment. Again.

It’s kind of like when people who decide to quit smoking or start a diet. Quitting is easy. Starting a diet is easy. But sticking to it? Well, that’s a whole different story.

That said, the ah-ha! moment is a powerful motivator, and it comes in all shapes and sizes. (No pun intended.)

What was so special about yesterday?

Absolutely nothing. It was another typical Sunday of laundry and household chores, with a sprinkle of studying for my health coach certification. I didn’t even exercise.

But there was something about the way I physically felt that made me decide it was time to pull myself out of my slump. What made the difference? I actually listened to this feeling, and I reflected on what the last couple of weeks have been like:

slogging-through-mud fatigue

duck for cover mood swings

“why is the (winter) day so bright” hibernation

whatever

I can blame the holidays, I can blame the weather, and I can blame recent crises – call them reasons, call them excuses. What it comes down to is that – as cliche as it is, now – I finally got tired of feeling this way. So I changed it.

It’s an easy choice…

That said, acting on a choice like this is easier said than done. Still, you have to start somewhere.

For me, the empowering perspective is: I’m not starting over. I’m picking up where I left off.

So this morning, I dragged my happy ass out of bed at 5:20, put on my workout clothes, and spent the next half hour or so missing my warm bed and sweating all over my yoga mat.

But it’s not easy.

It could be when your favorite outfit isn’t as flattering as it once was. Maybe it’s when you wake up feeling icky because you spent the previous day eating nothing but junk food (or just eating too much). It could be when you discover you no longer enjoy playing fetch with your dog.

Whatever it is, the ah-ha! moment is a powerful surge of motivation. Embrace it, and enjoy the ride. It’s worth it, and you’re worth it.